Endogenous Androgens, Coronary Atheroma and Remodeling in Women with Suspected Ischemic Heart Disease: A Report from the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) Study

Overview

Journal Am Heart J Plus

Specialty Cardiology & Vascular Diseases

Date 2024 Jun 14

PMID 38873103

Authors

Sachini Ranasinghe

Ankur Jain

Yasmeen Taha

Eileen Handberg

B Delia Johnson

Vera Bittner

George Sopko

Carl J Pepine

R David Anderson

C Noel Bairey Merz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Women have smaller coronary size than men independent of body surface area. Female to male heart transplantation demonstrates coronary lumen enlargement.

Purpose: To investigate relationships between endogenous androgens and coronary luminal size in women with suspected ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Methods: We analyzed 69 women with available androgen levels.

Results: Group mean age was 54 ± 10 years with 64 % post-menopausal. Lumen cross-sectional area (CSA) and external elastic membrane (EEM) CSA positively correlated with free testosterone (FT) ( = 0.29, = 0.049; r = 0.29, = 0.01), respectively, and negatively correlated with SHBG ( = -0.26, = 0.03; = -0.29, = 0.02), respectively. Atheroma CSA positively correlated with FT ( = 0.24. = 0.05). These correlations became non-significant after adjusting for waist circumference.

Conclusions: In women with suspected ischemic heart disease, endogenous androgens, coronary atheroma and luminal size are related, and may be moderated by waist circumference.

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